EMSELLA

WHY MIGHT YOU BE INTERESTED IN EMSELLA?

According to the National Association for Continence (NAFC), over 200 million people worldwide are affected by incontinence, which can include urine leaks when you cough, sneeze or play sports. It is especially common in women, particularly after childbirth and as we age – with one in three women in the UK reportedly suffering from stress incontinence.

However, while it’s traditionally been something we’re supposed to ‘just get on with’, that doesn’t have to be the case. By directly targeting and strengthening the pelvic floor muscles – the deconditioning of which directly correlates with urinary incontinence and decreased intimate satisfaction – treatments such as EMSELLA are increasingly proven to significant improve intimate health and wellbeing.

WHY IS EMSELLA EXCITING?

EMSELLA is the first device of its kind and, as such, it has created a totally new category of technology specifically targeted towards treating incontinence and intimate discomfort via pelvic floor muscle stimulation. As well as being FDA-cleared for treating urinary incontinence in women, it’s use of high intensity focussed electromagnetic energy pulses helps minimise feelings of anxiety or embarrassment as its non-invasive and you don’t have to undress or sit in a compromising position. It’s fast too – you can walk in and walk out in less than half an hour.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO EXPERIENCE AN EMSELLA TREATMENT?

Your practitioner will direct you to the large EMSELLA chair, which you can sit on fully dressed, without changing out of you day-to-day clothes. You’ll also be directed on how to sit correctly to ensure you ground your pelvic floor down comfortably onto the chair for the most benefit.

Once you are in the correct position, the machine is then switched on, with your practitioner gradually increasing the intensity. You’ll notice the growing intensity, as the pulses build and increasingly contract the muscles of your pelvic area. However, there are periods of ‘rest’ in between to keep the experience more relaxing, and it’s designed to allow you to still chat, read or watch TV throughout. The process continues throughout the 28 minute long treatment, after which the machine is switched off, and you can go about your day mere minutes after standing up.

HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO DOING KEGEL EXERCISES? 

Kegel exercises – which are a technique involving the holding and relaxing of your pelvic floor muscles – are the most common recommendation for improving pelvic floor strength. The EMSELLA chair aims to stimulate these muscles in a similar way, but the technology is doing all the work for you. Plus, the studies suggest that the effort is equivalent to 11,000 Kegel exercises, in just half an hour, which would be impossible to do via exercises alone.

HOW QUICKLY CAN YOU SEE RESULTS?

Some people may feel a difference after a single session, but on average the best outcomes are after six sessions, scheduled twice a week, so you’ll see tangible benefits in less than a month.

According to research by the brand, 95% of patients feel an improvement in their day-to-day life after that length of treatment, and 75% emphaise a reduction in their use of incontinence pads. Before and after imagery from clinical testing, also demonstrates the strengthening of the pelvic floor muscles.

HOW LONG DOES THE PROCEDURE TAKE?

The treatment cycle lasts for 28 minutes in total, with your practitioner tailoring the intensity of the pulses during that time. There’s also no real preparation time needed either, aside from explaining the process at your first appointment. That means you can be finished in around half an hour.

HOW LONG DO THE RESULTS LAST?

This depends on the severity of your pelvic floor weakness or incontinence but six monthly or yearly follow-up appointments are recommended to maintain and maximise your results.

IS AN EMSELLA TREATMENT PAINFUL?

It’s certainly a weird sensation, but it shouldnt be painful and your practitioner will manage the contraction levels to keep it comfortable for you. In fact, the Emsella chair does have a bit of a reputation as ‘the Happy Chair’, as some patients can find the sensation quite pleasurable. For others, it may feel slightly sharp – like electrical sparks, mirroring the ‘brrr’ noise the machine makes – but there shouldn’t be severe discomfort and you shouldn’t feel sore afterwards.

WHO IS SUITABLE FOR AN EMSELLA TREATMENT?

EMSELLA is suitable for both women and men seeking a non-invasive solution for urinary incontinence and as a method for improving the quality of your intimate life. Whether you are a mum who has struggled with urinary incontience after childbirth, an active woman who has noticed leaks during exercise, or someone who is experiencing decreased intimate satisfaction, the EMSELLA chair is designed with you in mind. It is specifically engineered to help prevent prolapse, and improve conditions such as incontinence and intimate discomfort.

AT WHAT AGE CAN YOU GET EMSELLA?

Older women and men may be more aware of increased incontinence and therefore seek out treatments such as EMSELLA. However, younger individuals, including those in their 20s, could also benefit if they have noticed leaks or other pelvic floor-related concerns, for example post-pregnancy or after an operation.

WHAT IS THE DOWNTIME / ATERCARE ADVICE FOR EMSELLA?

In great news, there isn’t any. Considering you don’t even have to get undressed, you can leave immediately after your half-an-hour treatment is up, and continue about your day normally.

HOW MUCH DOES AN EMSELLA TREATMENT COST?

A course of treatment on the Emsella chair, which can be between four and six sessions, costs around £2,000.

CAN EMSELLA BE COMBINED WITH OTHER TWEAKMENTS?

The company behind EMSELLA recommends combining the chair-based treatment with its award-winning, non-invasive EMSCULPT Neo body procedure, for ‘Core to Floor’ muscle strengthening therapy. This combination can be particularly effective if you have experienced abdominal separation due to your muscles stretching during pregnancy.

It is also recommended if you have undergone or are interested in intravaginal RF or laser treatment. That’s because, while these techniques mainly focus on collagen, elastin and blood flow, EMSELLA specifically targets the pelvic floor muscles to help boost the overall outcome of your treatment.

IS THE TREATMENT BACKED BY CLINICAL RESEARCH?

Yes, by no fewer than 13 clinical studies. This research indicates that HIFEM procedures, such as the EMSELLA chair, are more effective than electrostimulation for the treatment of weakened pelvic floor muscle, and can improve female sexual function through strengthening of the pelvic floor muscles too. Further research also remphasises HIFEM’s successful use in improving persistent urinary incontinence in both men and women, and its benefits over and above pelvic floor exercises alone.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER CONSIDERATIONS?

If you experience pain during treatment, you should immediately stop and speak to your practitioner. EMSELLA is also not suitable if you have electronic or metal implants.

WHO CREATED EMSELLA?

Specialising in advanced non-invasive solutions for body shaping, skin tightening and other medical aesthetic treatments, the Emsella chair was created by BTL Aesthetics. The company is also home to the award-winning HIFEM technology for body and face – EMSCULPT Neo and EMFACE.